The Nursery Reveal

Well, I am almost 38 weeks! It is crazy how fast this pregnancy has gone by! I can't believe that any day now I will be a mom. So surreal.

Jarrod and I have spent that last few weeks taking care of the last minute necessities needed for our little man's arrival, this including finishing up the nursery. Many weekends were spent getting every last detail exactly how we envisioned, and I am so happy with how it turned out! So excited, in fact, that I couldn't wait to show all of you.

So without further ado...Weston's Room.

Door to Room

Window Seat Bench

Dresser and Gallery Art Wall

Closet

Crib and Glider

I had the nursery bedding picked out for a boy even before I knew what we were having. I just loved Pottery Barn Kids' Alligator Madras Nursery Collection. It wasn't too "babyish" and I loved all the plaid that went along with the set. So the moment we found out our bundle of joy was going to be a boy, I added the bedding set to our registry list.

A lot of the room was inspiration found from Pinterest. For example, the window seat bench. We had the dresser and crib in the room, but it was looking a bit bare, even with that large furniture. I showed Jarrod the pin from Pinterest and he agreed that it would be a great addition to the room. So we went out and bought the Ikea shelf and my aunt made the cushion from the Pottery Barn Kids Madras window curtains. I think this is one of my favorite parts of the room. It just ties everything together and adds so much additional storage. I am trying to decide if I like the curtains or not, though. They were black out curtains I had from my old apartment, which we weren't using in our house, and I figured we could "recycle" them to work for the nursery. But, I am not sure I love them in the room. I may like something more like this, this or this. We will have to see. They work for now.

The gallery art wall was another Pinterest inspiration. We plan to fill the frames with some pictures from Weston's newborn session. I may end up printing a few pictures from my maternity photo session as well - still deciding on that one. Currently on the wall are a template of his birth information (which I will be updating, once I know that info), a picture of Texas with a heart over Houston (to symbolize where he was born), a paper mache letter that we spray painted navy blue, and a fortune from a fortune cookie.

The story behind the fortune cookie is...Jarrod's family was visiting back on Mother's Day (this was Jarrod's MBA graduation weekend as well). We all went to P.F. Changs to celebrate the day. After our meal, we received a fortune that said "Good news of long-awaited event will arrive soon". We thought it was humorous, since we were trying to get pregnant. However, we actually were pregnant and didn't know it yet! So we kept the fortune, since it actually came true. Just a little sentimental addition to the wall.

The other DIY project we undertook was the name sign over his crib. I had seen this tutorial on Pinterest and figured that we could make one ourselves. We bought some red and blue plaid fabric from Joann's that was similar to the madras fabric already in the room. Jarrod painted the wood letters a bright orange, to have it pop, and put everything in a white frame. I think it turned out really well. Definitely better than spending $100 or more for an Etsy one!

So, there ya have it, folks. Our nursery. Now all we need is the baby!

And the Verdict Is...

BOY!!!!!

We are having a baby boy! We couldn't be more thrilled and have already started working on the nursery. Guess all those "old wives tales" were actually correct (well, some at least)!

He or She?! We Shall See!

Happy Friday! It seems like it has taken forever, but today is the day! Today we find out if Baby Sparks is a boy or girl! We are off to the doctor this morning, so in an early celebration of this, I figured I would run through some "Old Wives Tales" about gender prediction. Just for fun...and to tide you over till later! So let's get started!

1. Chinese gender chart says: Boy
2. Pencil test says: Boy
3. Carrying high (girl) or carrying low (boy): Boy
4. Lots of morning sickness (girl), or not too sick (boy)?: Boy
5. Do you crave sweet foods (girl) or salty (boy)?: Both!
6. Is your skin clear (boy) or do you have breakouts (girl)?: Girl
7. Is the heartbeat high (girl) or low (boy)?: Girl
8. Have you been more clumsy (boy) or graceful (girl)?: Neither?!
9. Has your husband put on sympathy weight (girl) or not (boy): Girl
10. Consider your age at conception and the year of conception. If both are even or both are odd (girl). If one is even and one is odd (boy): Boy
11. My "mother's intuition" says: I don't know! Most of my pregnancy I thought Boy, and then for a  few days Girl, but now I'm not so sure. If I had to guess I'd say Boy
12. The husband's "father's intuition" says: Boy
13. My mom says: Girl
14. My father says: Boy
15. Mother-in-law says: Boy
16. Father-in-law says: Boy
17. Sister-in-law says: Boy
18. Brother-in-law says: Girl
19. Other brother-in-law says: Boy
20. Husband's family history: Boy

What do y'all think?! Will we be buying trucks and dinosaur toys or princess crowns and dolls? Leave a comment with your vote!

Pinteresting Wednesday: Nursery Inspiration

Oh, how I have missed Pinteresting Wednesdays! The week is just not as fun without it. For today's post I am going to focus on our nursery decorating ideas. Happy Wednesday everyone!

Join in on the fun and link up with The Vintage Apple!

I am obsessing over gallery art. Obsessing. I would love to put a collection of picture frames above the dresser/changing table. I think this is a great way to display your favorite photos and other wall art.

Source: girlintheredshoes.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Source: dougelissa.blogspot.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Forward-facing bookshelves! How cute and clever is this?!

Source: wonderfuljoyahead.blogspot.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

I am currently loving subway art prints. I am actually trying my hand at making this myself. I will definitely show y'all the finished version if it turns out the way I am hoping!

Source: lorrinteriors.blogspot.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Ikea bookshelf made into bench seating and storage. Jarrod and I went out Monday night and actually bought this exact bookshelf for the nursery. It looks so great! We just need to find/make a cushion to put on top - any friends know how to sew?!

Source: daffodildesign.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

What do y'all think of our nursery ideas so far? Any tips or suggestions?!

Our Pregnacy Journey, Thus Far

So, since we spilled the beans about our little one, I figured it would be fun to go ahead and tell everyone our journey up to this point. It will also be nice to have it saved to look back on later. My pregnancy journal, of sorts.

Found Out We Were Pregnant: May 26th

I found out I was pregnant on May 26th at around 4 a.m. Jarrod and I had been trying for a few months, so there wasn't any "surprise" in that regards. I was about a day late, so we decided I would take a test the next morning. However, I kept waking up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom (from anticipation, mostly) and decided that I should just go ahead and take it. Might as well, right?! I can remember so clearly turning the test over and seeing the perfectly clear plus sign. I sat there in shock. In excitement. In pure joy.

I crawled back in bed, peeking over on Jarrod's side to see if he was awake. He stirred a bit, and then looked over at me and asked "So...?" I cuddled up next to him and just whispered "You're going to be a Daddy!"

Told Our Families: June 3rd

It was ridiculously hard not to tell our families right away. I wanted to tell Jarrod's family in person, but the next time we were going to see them was during his sister's graduation...which I was told explicitly by her not to announce that I was pregnant during that time. She is the youngest of four and wanted that day to be HER day. I totally understood, but at the time she told me we weren't even trying. We decided to tell everyone the day after her graduation. It was so hard not to just come out with it, especially when we got questions about when we were going to have kids. But, we kept our mouths shut so we wouldn't steal the focus from his sister's day.

His parents and all of his siblings came over to eat lunch together on Sunday afternoon. As we all gathered around the table, Jarrod stated that he needed to go grab the professional pictures from his MBA graduation (he had graduated just a couple of weeks prior). When he handed the envelope of pictures to his mom, she didn't see Jarrod in a cap and gown, but rather this:

It took her a second to process what she was seeing. She just looked up at us and asked "Is this for real?"

Later that same Sunday we flew back to Houston and drove to my parent's house that night. We did the same routine - Jarrod pretending to have MBA graduation photos. It took my mom a little longer to process it. Actually, she didn't get it at all. After a couple of minutes of trying to subtly explain what the picture really was, she finally got it. It was pretty humorous.

First Doctor Appointment: June 15th

I had my first ultrasound on the 15th at 7 weeks. We weren't able to hear the heartbeat (didn't have the Doppler machine set up), but we definitely saw it flickering on the screen. It was amazing. I cried. It made it so real.

First Time to Hear Baby's Heartbeat: July 6th

We heard the heartbeat at my next doctor's appointment when I was 10 weeks. It was 163.

That is pretty much it. I am now in my second trimester. Besides the occasional nausea, my first trimester was very easy. I am very lucky. I am now 15 weeks (about to be 16 weeks on Wednesday) and have heard the baby's heartbeat two more times - once was 159 and the other 152. We find out the gender at the end of this month and cannot wait. Definitely more updates to come!

Well, I've Got Some News...

We're having a baby!

Baby Sparks is due January 2013! We couldn't be more thrilled and excited!

Thursday Thoughts

Happy Thursday, my friends! Today I am linking up with one of my favorite Baylor bloggers, Sarah at {Life of Love}, with some Thursday Thoughts. Sounds fun, right? Hope you all enjoy!

1. I have come to the conclusion that I am definitely a hypochondriac. It is a little ridiculous, actually. Any time something is a little off, I immediately fear for the worse. Take my recent Lasik surgery, for example. My right eye doesn't see as clear as my left eye, so of course I think that I am either losing my vision or I will have to undergo surgery again to fix it. It doesn't matter that my doctor assures me that my eyes are still healing and recovering from a major procedure. I am doomed. Then, last night, I told Jarrod that my stomach hurt. Of course this led to me telling him that I must be allergic to something I am eating and I needed to have a complete overhaul of my diet. Obviously I take things to the extreme.

2. I am so ready to be done unpacking the house. Seriously - how and when did we accumulate so much stuff?! It is crazy how many boxes we still have to unpack. Our goal is to have everything out of boxes and put away by Sunday night. I will let you know if we accomplish this.

3. I am tired of having lawn chairs in our living room. That's right, folks, we are living on lawn chairs. We are planning on going shopping for a new living room set (couch, end tables and coffee table) this weekend. I can't wait!

4. I haven't worn any make-up for the past week (due to the surgery) and I am about to go crazy. My eyelashes are reddish-blonde, so they're practically invisible. I need mascara, y'all. It is imperative.

5. I am currently planning a little mini-getaway to San Antonio to see one of my best friends. Words cannot express my excitement about this. I love this girl and I don't get to see her nearly as often as I would like. So when she told me to come visit her and her hubby, I jumped at the chance. They just moved into a new townhome as well, so I am looking forward to seeing the new digs.

6. I love cheese puffs. You know, like cheeto balls. But, sadly, those things are extremely unhealthy and I consume way too much when I eat them. Which is why I loved Frito Lay's 100 Calorie Mini Cheese Asteroids. I got portion control and the cheesy taste all in one. I was addicted to them. And then they stopped selling them in Texas. Devastation doesn't even begin to describe. Frito Lay, I beg of you! Bring them back to Houston!

7. We had a broker open house today and we are having an open house on Saturday. I am really hoping that it generates some interest in our (former) home! Keep your fingers crossed for us!

I Can See Clearly Now...

Guess who has better than 20/20 vision?

This girl!

I know...I look awesome in those goggles, right?

My nerves were going crazy and it was the weirdest feeling I have ever experienced, but everything went well! I am so happy that I went through with it.

Thanks everyone for praying and saying encouraging words! It meant so much to me.

I Once Was Blind, But Now I See

Tomorrow morning, starting at 9:30 a.m., I will begin taking the steps to no longer need glasses or contacts.

That's right, folks. I am getting Lasik tomorrow.

With a Groupon, no less.  (Don't worry. I researched the doctor and he is excellent).

I am freaking out, though. I am so excited about the idea of it, but the thought of the procedure has me terrified. I had a panic attack on the way home from work last night because I was thinking about it. I am so very nervous and anxious.

Please say a little prayer for me tomorrow. Pray that everything goes well, that my nerves will settle, that the surgery will be successful and that I will heal quickly and without pain.

Thanks, friends.

See you on the flip side! Get it? See....

I crack myself up.

Recap: The Cruise

At the beginning of December, Jarrod and I went on a cruise with three of our good friends, Dan, Chelle and Chris. I had never been on a cruise before, so I was a little apprehensive when we first decided to go.

What if I got sea sick?

What if I fell overboard?!

But, our friend, Chelle, was turning 30 and wanted to celebrate in style. And I couldn't say no to that!

The cruise was a week long and we visited Honduras, Belize and Cozumel.

We spent the first few days at sea, which gave us ample amount of time to explore the ship and participate in the events.

Dining Room

Inside the ship

Pool

Decorated for Christmas

Dan, Chelle, Chris, me and Jarrod
with Loni and JoJo, two friends we made while on the cruise

After the few days at sea, we docked in Honduras. We immediately loaded up on a bus and set out for our Shipwreck snorkeling excursion. The snorkeling was amazing - I wish we could have stayed out there longer! The shipwreck was a little underwhelming, though, as we learned from our guide that they had purposefully sunk the ship for tourism. Boo.

Honduras Welcome Party

Chelle made fast friends with a monkey

Jarrod and I snorkeling

Shipwreck

The next day we docked in Belize. Now, this is where Jarrod and I spent our honeymoon, so I was really excited to return and visit places we originally didn't get to see. While the others went ziplining, Jarrod and I went to visit the Mayan Ruin, Xunantunich. And it was well worth the 2 hour bus drive - it was absolutely breathtaking.

The temple

Jarrod and I climbed all the way to the top - 130 feet up!

View from very top of temple

Our last visit was to Cozumel. Now, you would think living in Texas my entire life that I would have been to Mexico at least once...but, alas, this was my first time. And I loved it! It was beautiful! The entire group did a stingray excursion together, which was a lot of fun. Afterwords we did a little shopping and then headed over to Señor Frog's for some drinks and entertainment.

Our ship, The Mariner of the Seas, next to the largest ship
in the world, The Allure of the Seas

Our group (minus Dan) at the stingray excursion

Hook 'em Horns underwater

Stingray!

Stingray...up close

Shots, Shots, Shots Shots!

The guys at Señor Frog's made Jarrod a...hat....?

All in all, it was a wonderful vacation and I am looking forward to the next time we can go on a cruise again!

Are you still there?

Hello!

...Umm...anyone still out there?

I know, I know...I have been on quite the blogging hiatus. And for that, I am sorry. Life has been such a whirlwind lately and, unfortunately, the blog took a backseat in my mind.

But things are settling down and I am back on track! Of course, it took a few of my readers scolding me for not blogging to kick me back in gear...so, apparently I have been missed?

Let me just quickly summarize everything that went on in the past two months: my mom's birthday, my dad's birthday, my father-in-law's birthday, Thanksgiving, a bridal shower, putting our house for sale, buying a new house, a cruise, my dad having surgery, Christmas, Piper contracting mange from the kennel we left her at, moving into a new house, still trying to sell our old house, a bachelorette party, New Year's and a wedding.

Alot, people.

I will be updating you on a few of those items later on next week. I promise. But, for now, I must get work done so that I can make it to the aforementioned wedding!

Glad to be back!

A Flair for the Dramatic

I am not going to deny it - I have a slight tendency to be somewhat dramatic and over exaggerate. I blame my father.  My dad is a pro when it comes to story-telling. He would always tell his "war stories" while I was growing up. And y'all, these stories are famous in my family. They include recollections of life in an all boys Catholic school, to growing up in Philly, to serving in the Air Force during Vietnam. My aunts, uncles, and cousins know all the stories by heart. And, what is funny about them, is that the story slightly changes every time he tells it.

Take the killer bee story, for example. It's a hot afternoon in Brazil, where my father is stationed during the war. All of his comrades are sitting around a hotel pool, enjoying their day off. Nearby, a group of young, mischievous boys find a bee hive and begin to hit it with sticks. Suddenly, a huge swarm emerges from said bee hive and begins to fly over to the pool area. World War III ensues. Everyone is running around, trying to escape from the attack. My father runs over to the pool, but accidentally stubs his toe on the edge. He falls in, bees flying into the water after him like bullets from a gun. Sometimes during the story he claims to have been stung ten times. Other times its only twice. He calls it his "Purple Heart" story, since he nearly lost his life during the event. And had a purple toe for a few days.

I tell you all this because I had a traumatic experience a few nights ago. Jarrod claims I am over-reacting, but I beg to differ. Obviously he just is unaware of the severity of the situation.

You see, I almost chopped my finger off while cooking. No joke. I was chopping spinach when it happened. I began to bleed and the moment I saw the blood I became light-headed and nauseous. While Jarrod ran upstairs to grab me a band-aid, I laid on the floor, tears streaming down my face, feeling as though the pain would never end. I was certain I was either going to bleed to death or lose my finger altogether. There would be no way to salvage it.

Seriously...look at how bad that wound is!

Life threatening, I tell you.

Piper Passes Kindergarten + FITBF

Hello, my friends! I hope everyone had a fantastic week and is looking forward to the weekend ahead.

Jarrod and I have had a pretty uneventful, but good week. On Tuesday night, our little pipsqueak graduated from her training school. They grow up so fast, y'all! I was so proud of how she acted that night. Usually she is the most hyper dog there, but that night she was calm and well-behaved. She did all of the commands with ease and paid attention when we called her. The trainer was in shock, and honestly, so was I. For a moment I thought we had the wrong puppy. But, she aced the exam and received her certificate!

Putting on her cap

Receiving her certificate and enjoying a treat

Our little graduate

Throwing her cap

She can now sit, lay down, shake, drop, come, and stay. She also knows "leave it" when I have a treat in my hand and will only take it when I give the okay. She is so smart!

Tonight we are heading up to College Station to see my Baylor Bears play against the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday. Jarrod's youngest brother and cousin attend A&M, so it should be a fun game with lots of banter. I plan on being decked out in my green and gold! Sic 'Em, Bears!

Now, for Fill in the Blank Friday!

Link up with Lauren at The Little Things We Do!

1. The most selfless thing I've ever done was  .... Is it bad that I can't think of a particular instance? I am sure that I have done something that could be considered selfless, but it doesn't jump out in my mind. I enjoy doing nice things for others, but I can't say that it was "selfless." It was just me doing a good deed. Ask me in a few years once I have kids...I am sure I will have an answer then.

2. When it comes to working out  I am not a fan. I have never liked exercise. Sweat? Gross. But, I have been keeping up with the Couch to 5k program, and I am actually enjoying it. Although I am not seeing a whole lot of results, which is slightly discouraging.

3. A woman should always  do something that makes her feel pretty. Pedicure, haircut, shopping...whatever it may be.

4. I wish I could  magically make more time in the days  and then I'd  be able to complete all the craft projects and Christmas shopping that I want to do!

5. A best friend is  someone that you can be your total self with. And they are there for you always. Especially in the darkest times of your life.

6. I can't get enough of  pumpkin desserts! I made pumpkin chocolate chip brownies last weekend and made pumpkin muffins last night. Yummy!

7. This weekend I am  heading to College Station to watch the Baylor vs. Texas A&M football game, hanging out with the in-laws, and then relaxing at home with the hubby.

Happy Friday!